Congratulations to MSU's

TOP STARTUPS!

Student Union

Mississippi State

27 Start-ups

and Student Teams

April 18-22nd

4:30pm - 6:00pm

Over $30,000

in Seed Money

Welcome to eWeek 2016!

Mississippi State University's Entrepreneurship Week is one of the southeast's most exciting student start-up competitions, hosted by the university's Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (E-Center).

In its 5th year, MSU eWeek 2016 will see as many as 27 teams from nearly every college on campus compete for cash prizes totaling over $30,000 in seed funding! Business model pitches are evaluated on company technology, management, financials, and market by thirty industry-respected leaders serving as judges from companies all across the region.

Last year, 61% of students participating were part of teams awarded seed money towards building their companies.

The Conceptual (I) Competition is designed for ventures which are still in the conceptual stages. These companies are either in late planning stages or have begun prototype development. Each competitor has 10-minutes to present their idea, and 5 minutes for Q&A.

Mississippi State University and our flagship entrepreneurs cordially invite you to join us as we celebrate the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the new Center for Entrepreneurship & Outreach.

The new 2,000sqft Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach (CEO) is a world-class facility with the primary mission of helping student, faculty, and community members start or grow businesses. Drawing on design elements from acclaimed instituions all over the country, the new center boasts state-of-the-art technology in a glass, open floor plan facility right in the middle of campus. It features shared start-up work spaces and collaboration space with special dry-erase film on all the glass surfaces. The facility also provides office space for the new Executive-In-Residence program, which will host regional senior business leaders and entrepreneurs who can offer office hours to entrepreneurs both in-person and remotely.

The E-Commerce Competition is designed for companies that use the power of the internet to sell a product, create a service, or other digital market opportunity. Competitors have 10-minutes to present, and 5 minutes for Q&A. The E-Commerce Competition is in partnership with the MSU College of Business, Marketing Department.

The Prototype Startup Competition is designed for ventures which have constructed a working prototype and a thoroughly developed business model. Companies have generally established basic product-market fit and are beginning to seak early adopters to generate revenue. Each competitor has 10-minutes to present their idea, and 5 minutes for Q&A. The first night of the Prototype Innovation Challenge is generously sponsored by Talos Energy.

The Prototype (II) Competition is designed for ventures which have constructed a working prototype and a thoroughly developed business model. Companies have generally established basic product-market fit and are beginning to seak early adopters to generate revenue. Each competitor has 10-minutes to present their idea, and 5 minutes for Q&A. The second night of the Prototype Startup Competition is generously sponsored by MSU alumnus Mr. Mark Dumas.

The Factory is a Maker Space dedicated to the creation of things. By networking available labs on Mississippi State's campus, students will have access to the tools they need to create whatever they can imagine.

Imagine you're standing in a hypothetical elevator with a hypothetical "rich guy" with only 90 seconds to convince him to invest in you concept. That's exactly the idea with the Student Elevator Pitch Competition, where students have to convince judges that they have the winning idea. This fun, fast-paced competition is one you won't want to miss. Come join us and watch as one of nine contestants will win $1,000 in under 2 minutes.

The Growth Startup Competition is designed for ventures which have demonstrated some degree of sales, although still early in the development lifecycle. Each competitor has 10-minutes to present their idea, and 5 minutes for Q&A. The Revenue Startup Challenge is generously sponsored by the MSU Thad Cochran Endowment for Entrepreneurship.

The Final Startup Competition includes five companies — winners from the five preceeding competitions. Each competitor has 10-minutes to present, and 5 minutes for Q&A. This competition is generously sponsored by Tellus Operating Group.

Help yourself to refreshments along with presentation of awards to all Entrepreneurship Week winners as well as recognition of our new inductees to the startup revenue achievement clubs.

Judges

Each start-up team is evaluated by a strong group of senior leadership from companies all over the southeast to help decide which business ventures have the best chance of success! Check out a selection of our all-star judges below:

Volunteer to Judge

It's the most exciting opportunity to give back and support student entrepreneurs — judging a start-up competition. Submit your name to volunteer as a judge for MSU eWeek 2016.

The E-Center serves students, faculty, and staff from all colleges and majors at Mississippi State. The College of Ag & Life Sciences; Arts & Sciences; Architecture, Art & Design; Business; Education; Engineering; and Forest Resources are all competing during Entrepreneurship Week! In fact, over 71% of teams competing in our major competitions originate from colleges other than business, but most of our highly successful teams involve a diverse mix of students including business.

The E-Center

Students are welcome to come by the Entrepreneurship Center any time for assistance with the presentation and pitch for E-Week or any other general guidance on the business concept. Appointments are available by completing this form.

Business Research Library

The library has a great resource with its Industry, Company & Market Analysis Research Guide, online here. Contact Justin Kani, Business Librarian at JKani@library.msstate.edu

The university understands entrepreneurs change the world. It embraces its role as a major contributor to the economic development of the state through targeted research and the transfer of ideas and technology to the public. MSU also recognizes that a wildly successful alumni base is critical to the success of future students through their mentorship and financial contributions long-term. While the start-ups that many students launch during their college careers may not last, the skills and knowledge they gain in the process represents a tremendous educational opportunity, accelerating them light-years ahead of their peers.

Yes! MSU is exceptionally generous and cognizant of the concerns surrounding student IP. With rare exceptions (such as projects resulting directly from federal grant funding or where employed at the university), students retain full rights to any intellectual property they develop at MSU. It is also not common practice for the university to retain equity in student start-ups — our Start-up Grant Program explicitly states no expectation of return, equity position or royalties. Over time we've found our entrepreneurial alumni to be more than willing to give back with their time, expertise, and money. (See Sponsors)